{"id":84,"date":"2009-02-16T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-16T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/endoedibles.ifm.yji.mybluehost.me\/?p=84"},"modified":"2009-02-16T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-02-16T19:00:00","slug":"boulevard-san-francisco-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/?p=84","title":{"rendered":"Boulevard, San Francisco CA"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After an early breakfast at Tartine and plenty of time driving around viewing the city, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Academy of Sciences the goal was a visit to California\u2019s oldest restaurant for some lunch around 2:00 \u2013 little did we know that President\u2019s day is actually a day off for those at Tadich Grill and most of downtown. A little disappointed I fired up the GPS to figure out something close and low-and-behold was greeted by another Northern California landmark \u2013 Boulevard. Having read glowing revies of Nancy Oakes both as a chef and a person, I\u2019d actually considered dinner at Boulevard for that evening, but why wait, especially given the number of restaurants closed in SF on Mondays!<\/div>\n

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Arriving at Boulevard around 2:05 the restaurant was still approximately half full but our lack of reservations was not an issue at all. A courteous valet took the car and led us through the doors into the marvelous stone-clad room with its beautifully wide open kitchen and prep area, long scenic bar, and smells that piqued both my interest and my appetite. After approximately 3 minutes we were seated and our wonderfully helpful (if not a bit pretentious) waiter, Joe W presented us with menus and suggestions for wine \u2013 an option we declined, instead opting for iced tea and water. By the time Joe\u2019s assistant returned with water and tea our minds were made up, orders were placed, and I made a quick trip (down the stairs, where many old awards hang) to the restroom where, oddly, a picture of a nude lady hangs. By the time I returned, a wonderful block of superb sourdough with wonderful salted butter was present and I proceeded to overindulge without regret.<\/div>\n

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For our meal options, my mother selected a main while my aunt chose an appetizer and a main and I selected two appetizers to serve as my main. Course one of the meal consisted of my aunt\u2019s Dungeness Crab Cake with Bouillabaisse and Saffron Aioli and my eared Monterey Calamari with Pan Seared Artichoke Hearts and Puree, crispy tentacles, olive-red pepper relish. Both dishes were presented nicely by Joe and described in great detail with the bouillabaisse actually added to the crabcake tableside – a nice touch. Incredibly fresh and decent in portion, both dishes were true palate pleasers and on par with what one would expect in a place like Boulevard. Though she was first hesitant about the crab because she worried the bouillabaisse would be too fishy, my aunt loved her dish and while I generally prefer a little less spice in my dish, the pepper with my calamari was actually quite subdued by the olive and the crispy tentacles provided and interesting contrast to the smooth cephalopods.<\/div>\n
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